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The readings today speak of a great cosmic battle that is taking place all around us. In the Gospel, Jesus speaks vividly of it, and of his own mission to engage our ancient foe and to gather God’s elect back from the enslaving clutches of Satan, who was a murder and a liar from the beginning (cf John 8:44). And so, as Jesus approaches Jerusalem for the final time, He describes the battle that is about to unfold. It is a battle he wins at the Cross and Resurrection, but it is a battle whose parameters extend across time to our own era. We also do well to look at the second reading, which describes what ought to be our stance in reference to the great cosmic battle. Though the victory is ours, we can only lay hold of it by clinging to Christ and walking with him. The Hebrews text gives us a...

19th Sunday in Ordinary TimeBy Fr. Victor Feltes Once upon a time, you had an idea, an idea to bless the entire world by starting a new business from scratch. You fully invested yourself into the project – your time and talent and treasure – to make this enterprise successful, and it was very successful. After leading your business for many years without a single vacation, you announced you would be taking some time away. You reassured your employees the company would continue and that you would be back, perhaps in a few weeks or maybe several months. You gave careful instructions to all of your managers for what they were to do in your absence, and then you left on a journey which was out of this world. You celebrated a beautiful, destination wedding which you had long-looked forward to a...

In 2004, Marc Saperstein, a professor of Jewish Studies at George Washington University, offered a thoughtful review of The Popes Against the Jews: The Vatican’s Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism, written by David Kertzer, a professor at Brown University. Saperstein praised Kertzer’s recounting of oppression endured by Jews in papal territories during the first two-thirds of the 19th century, but went on to powerfully challenge Kertzer’s claims about the Vatican’s role in constructing the “Antechamber to the Holocaust.” By coincidence, both professors Saperstein and Kertzer had rabbi fathers who served as U.S. Army chaplains in Europe during the Second World War. By further coincidence, testimony from Rabbi Harold Saperstein provides a good starting point for consideration of David ...

Happy Friday friends, It’s August. Large sections of Washington are flooded, the mosquitos are especially malarial, and I have fled to higher ground for the week.  When it comes to the Church, it is tempting to think that there isn’t much going on in the dog days of summer. But between papal trips and a consistory in Rome at the end of the month, the traditional summer recess is disappearing fast. There’s certainly been news this week, and we’ve been keeping an eye on it for you. So let’s get to it, and then you can get back to what’s left of your vacation. Share — The Church’s hierarchy in Mexico has found itself in fairly direct conflict with the country’s government, with the bishops’ conference and the leadership of religious orders trading acrimonious statements over security pol...

G.K. Chesterton became Christ-like by remaining childlike, and so must we. “Unless you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” So says Christ in St. Matthew’s Gospel. Yet St. Paul, seeming to contradict Christ, tells us that when he was a child, he behaved like a child, but now that he is old, he has “put away childish things.” Is this not an example of the Gospel “truth” contradicting itself? If we listen to Christ, must we assume that St. Paul is in error? Indeed, if we listen to St. Paul do we assume that he is not fit for the kingdom of heaven? Has he disqualified himself, damning himself with his own words? Surely not; but, if not, how can these apparent contradictions be reconciled? Taken together, the words of Christ and those of ...

The Space Coast is no stranger to big crowds. During the Shuttle era, it wasn’t uncommon for half a million people to attend a launch, and as Peter Cranis, executive director of the Space Coast Office of Tourism, told Florida Today, launches of SpaceX Crew Dragons are drawing as many as 250,000 visitors. Accordingly, the estimate of 100,000 people for the SLS launch may be on the low side, though it’s tough to tell. G/O Media may get a commission Save Up to $300 Galaxy Z Fold4 Today, Samsung unveiled everything new in its lineup of Galaxy products. Bundle a pair of Buds 2 Pro with either a Watch5 or Watch5 Pro with the Z Fold4 to receive $300 in Samsung credit. Advertisement Indeed, enthusiasm for NASA’s Artemis program hasn’t been great. Earlier this year, none of the contestants on Jeopa...

[embedded content] Marriage rates are plummeting. Faith in Jesus Christ has taken a nosedive. Are these related? What can we do to fix it? J.P. DeGance explains… Join Our Telegram Group : Salvation & Prosperity  

By Phil Lawler ( bio – articles – email ) | Aug 09, 2022 Four years have passed since Theodore McCarrick resigned from the College of Cardinals. We are still coping with the aftershocks of the scandal he caused. Moreover—the reason I write about this subject today—we are still coping with the clerical system that allowed that scandal to fester unchecked for so many years. A few months after his resignation, the Vatican announced that McCarrick had been stripped of his clerical status. A canonical trial had found him guilty—not only of sexual abuse, but of soliciting in the confessional and abusing his episcopal authority as well. Since that time, Pope Francis has named five bishops from the US to the College of Cardinals. Barring a dramatic last-minute change, Bishop Robert McE...

Singer and actress Olivia Newton-John passed away from breast cancer on Mon., Aug. 8, 2022. The Australia-native’s battle with breast cancer began in 1992. After years of remission, it returned in 2013. The cancer then spread to her back in 2017. The ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ singer and ‘Grease’ actress spoke on a podcast last year about her 1985 pregnancy with her only daughter. [See also: Follow ChurchPOP’s Telegram Channel!] At the end of the podcast, Newton-John told host Sarah Grynberg that pregnancy complications almost resulted in the death of her daughter. She also reveals her favorite prayer, and that her parents took her to a Presbyterian church as a child. “I remember when I was pregnant with Chloe, and I was close to losing her at one point,” Newton-John explained. “I ha...

In response to Spears’ story, Father Matthew P. Schneider, LC, who teaches theology at Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, North Carolina, outlined four main requirements for a wedding to take place in a Catholic church. Either the bride or groom must be Catholic and free from any impediments, such as marriage to another person. Both the bride and groom must “intend what the Church does,” including recognizing marriage as something permanent, exclusive, and open to life.  They must also plan to raise their children Catholic. 4 main requirements for a wedding to take place in a Catholic church: 1. The man &/or woman is Catholic.2. Neither has impediments (married to another, etc.).3. Both intend what the Church does (permanent, exclusive, open to kids, etc.).4. They plan to raise kid...